Container construction



Dec. 15, 1942. Q vw w -rz V CONTAINER CONSTRUCTION Filed May 12, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR 05cm? 14! Wat/7'2 BY I MM ATTORNEY o. w. E -r2 2,305,365

CONTAINER CONSTRUCTION- Filed May- 12, 1939 Dec. 15,1942;

, 2 sh eets 's heet 2 INVENTOR OSCAR Nit 402 ATTORN Patented Dec. 15, 1942 CONTAINER CONSTRUCTION Oscar W. Wentz, Long Island City, N. Y., assignor to United States Automatic Box Machinery 00., Inc., Boston, Mass, a corporation of Massachusetts Application May 12, 1939, Serial No. 273,197

10 Claims.

This invention relates to container construction. One of theobjects of this invention is to provide a strong, durable and inexpensive container construction made of material like suitably heavy paper, cardboard, or other or like fibrous or cellulose material. Another object is to provide a container construction of the above-mentioned character that may be made dependably leak-proof particularly as to its body and bottom structure and dependably capable of handling; or use in connection with, liquids, or other materials, particularly wet materials. Another object is to provide a container of the abovementioned character that will be particularly well adapted for the so-called carry-out or overthe-counter or retail trade in wet or liquid goods or materials, and to provide a container that can be easily and quickly closed by simple manual operations and have such closing operation dependably conditioned for convenient carrying. Another object is to provide a container construction having handles for convenient carrying but constructed so as to dependably relieve or distribute strains due to the load being suspended from the upper or handle part of the container and to achieve such distribution in a manner that will achieve economy of material and manufacturing costs while materially improving the construction and action of containers of this character. Another object is to provide a container construction that will be economical in employment of raw material and capable of achieving adequate or a high'order ofstrength and durability with minimum weight and amountof raw material employed.

'Another object'is to provide a container construction with a closure that may be easily and simply manipulated into closing relation and locked. Another object is to provide a container construction with carrying handle means, or thelike, so interrelated to the remaining parts of the construction that, though the nature of the material within the container be non-rigid, such as liquids, powdered materials, or the like, the strains or stresses caused by the container contents or by the carrying'of the filled container from the top are reliably and in a simple manner prevented from effecting consequential distortion of the container construction. Another object is to provide a container construction of the above-1' mentioned character that will be light,- compact and not-bulky, neat in appearance, sanitary, and of generally approved and desirable character for dispensing goods, such as liquids, wet goods, like oysters, clams, etc., and other products; An-

other object is in general to provide an improved carry-out container construction. Other objects will be in part obvious or in part pointed out hereinafter.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combinations ofelements, arrangements of parts, and in the several steps and relation and order of each of the same to one or more of the others, all as will be illustratively described herein, 'and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the following claims.

In the accompanying drawings in which is shown by way of illustration a preferred embodiment of the mechanical features of my invention,

Figure 1 is a plan view or development of the shape and of the scoring of a paper or like cardboard blank out of which the container is to be made;

Figure 2 is an elevation or top plan view showing the blank of Figure 1 in one possible stage of its folding operations;

Figure 3 is a perspective viewshowing the resultant container in open condition, and

Figure 4 is a perspective view showing the container in closed condition.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views in the drawmgs.

Referring first to Figure 1, I have there shown in outline or' development a blank, preferably of a single sheet of material, out of which the container is to be formed; the material of the blank is a suitably heavy paper, or cardboard, or other appropriate or analogous material usually fibrous or cellulose, and hereinafter termed for convenience paper. As shown in Figure 1 the blank is in general and preferably of approximately trapezoidal shape, a shape which lends itself to achieving minimum of wastage of paper when, blanks are cut out of the sheet or paper stock.

The blank has'appropriate score or fold lines where folding is to tak lace and is also cut or cut out to provide certain interrelated flaps for purposes later described. Preferably the ultimate container is quadrangular in horizontal cross-section and for purposes of illustration may be assumed to be rectangular in horizontal crosssection. Also, and preferably, the container is ultimately to have a so-called tapered shape in that its horizontal cross-section preferably increases in a direction from the bottom toward the top in order in particular to achieve the ad vantages of fitting or nesting one open ended container into another, though it is to be understood that many features of my invention may be realized without incorpo ating this tapered shape.

Substantially centrally of the blank are provided four score lines 2|, 22, 23 and 24 outlining the bottom A which, illustratively, is rectangular in shape and integral with the bottom and to the right and left thereof, as viewed in Figure l, are the tapered end walls B and C defined, respectively, by the lateral fold lines 25-25 for the wall B and the fold lines 21-28 for the wall C, the respective upper-boundaries of these two walls being defined by the score lines 29 and 30. Where the container body is to be tapered these score lines 25-25 and 21-28 are divergent in a direction away from the bottom.

To either side of the end wall B (above and below as viewed in Figure 1), the blank has outlined side wall portions E and F and in a similar way there are side wall portions G and'H adjacent the end wall C, these side wall portions being respective extensions from the respective end walls. Side wall portion E is encompassed between an edge portion 32 of the blank, a score line 33 which extends at a slight angle to the score line 2| because of the preferred tapered shape of the ultimate container, and then is extended toward the right or toward what is to be the top of the container by way of the portion encompassed between the edge 34 and a score line 35, the latter being preferably convergent toward the right and hence making obtuse angles respectively with the lines 32 and 25, a transverse score line 36 forming the ultimate boundary of the portion E. Beyond the score line 35 the material of the side wall portion E is extended to form what will be termed a handle 'counterpart designated generally at J and the latter may be cut in the outline illustrated in the drawing to form two loops J and J within which are T-shaped tabs T and T the latter being joined to or integral with the portion E along the line of the score line 35.

The side wall portion F'is given a similar or symmetrical conformation, being bounded by the score lines 25, 31, 38, the edges 39, 49 and the transverse score line 4|; beyond the score line 38 it is extended as at K to form a handle counterpart to the member J above described. The handle counterpart K is preferably given the shape of two loops K and K. The area intervening the score lines 35, 29 and 31 is preferably shaped as shown and contains score or fold lines 43, 44 which with the score line 29 encompass a triangular panel L; a score line 45 extends from the apex of this triangle to the apex of the straight-line edges 45, 41 which preferably form an angle substantially as shown.

The side wall portion G is preferably substantially trapezoidal in shape, being encompassed within the outer preferably straight-line edge 58, a cut edge 8. score line 52, then score line 21 with its angular extension 53, and a cut edge 54.

In like manner the side wall portion H is, encompassed within a straight-line or cut edge 55, a cut edge 51, a score line 58, then score line 28 with its angular extension 59, and an inclined straight edge 59. The area encompassed within the score lines 53, 30 and 59 is preferably subdivided into panels, as shown, by the score lines 52, 53 and 54, thus to include a triangular panel M which is symmetrical with the panel L, as are also the two contiguous or adjacent quadrangular panels. A

The area encompassed between the lines 33, 24 and 52-5l is shaped or cut to provide suitable flaps to coact with various of the wall portions of the blank and in a preferred arrangement has a cut-out shaped preferably as indicated at 66 and is out along the lines 51, 58 and 59 and scored along the lines 10 and 1|. Thus, I outline or define in this preferred arrangement four flaps 12, 13, 14 and 15. Plan 12 is in area substantially half that of the bottom A and is integral with or forms an extension of the side wall portion E which has the handle part J, as above described; its junction with the part E is along the score line 33 and hence along that entire bounding edge of the part E; it is also joined along the fold line 1| to the flap 13, the latter being an extension of the bottom A to which it is joined along part of the fold line 24, that part being about half the length of the score line 24 which may be intersected by the line of cutting 58.

The flap 15 is an extension of the side wall portion G, along the fold line 52, which is preferably of less extent than the entire bounding edge 5l-52 of the portion G. Flap 15 is integral with the flap 14 along the fold line 10. The parts are so proportioned that the altitude of the flap 14 with score line 24 as its base is preferably materially greater than the altitude of the flap 15 treating the score line 52 as its base.

In like manner, the area encompassed within the score lines 4|, 22 and line 58-51 is cut out as at 11, is out along the lines 18, 19 and and scored along the lines 8| and 82 to form flaps 83, 84, 85 and 86 similar, respectively, to the above-described flaps 12, 13, 14 and 15.

In folding the above-described preferred form of blank, adhesive is first applied to the abovedescribed flaps, preferably on those faces thereof toward the observer viewing Figure 1, and adhesive is also applied either to the under faces of the side wall portions G and H but preferably to such areas of the upper faces of the side wall portions E and F, as shown in Figure 1, that are equal and similar in shape to the side wall portions G and H, respectively. This latter or preferred application of adhesive has the advantage, in forming the body of the container by machinery, of applying adhesive only to one side of the blank.

Any suitable mechanism or machine may be employed in effecting the folding operation and a preferred or possible sequence of steps may include the following: Referring again to Figure 1, side wall portions G andv H'may be folded in a direction toward each other (toward the ob server viewing Figure 1) about their respective fold lines 21-53 and 28-59 to give the parts G, C and H a cross-section approaching a U shape of which the parts G and H are the arms. In like manner, the side wall portions E and F may be folded in a direction toward each other about the fold lines 25-35 and 25-31 to approximate such a U shape, and then the two U-shaped portions G, C, H and E, B, F may be folded about score lines 23 and 2|, respectively, and hence brought toward each other, but with the parts or arms G and H falling within the parts or arms E and F which. for that purpose, are folded to a lesser extent or are folded subsequently. Preferably, these'and the other folding operations take place with respect to or against a suitable block (not shown) shaped to conform to the ultimate volume or interior ofthe container.

As the'left-hand section G, C, H is folded in the sequence above-described, flaps 14 and 85 preferably remain in the plane of the bottom A and as the right-hand bounding lines l-52 and 58-51-of the side wall portions G and H are brought into coincidence respectively with score lines 24 and 22, respectively, of the bottom A (see 14 and 84, respectively. This relationship is shown in the plan view of Figure 2.

Thereby the flaps 15-14 and flaps 88-85 become secured together, inasmuch as their respecwith both side wall portions E and G between which it extends. In a similar way, composite flap 85-86 becomes secured between the side wall portions F and H.

a As the side wall portions E and F are swung inwardly about the score lines 25-35 and 26-31,

tive adhesive-bearing faces are brought into face to face contact.

In Figures 1 and 2 are shown illustrative and preferred shapes or configurations for these two pairs of flaps and according to that preferred arrangement, flap 14 is larger than flap 15 and flap 84 is larger than flap 88, thereby still leaving exposed relatively large or appropriate portions of theadhesive-bearing faces of the larger flaps. Also, and preferably, the base of flap 15, as viewed in Figure 2, is shorter than the base of flap 14, thereby bringing the right-hand edge of the smaller flap 15 spaced some distance from the point of intersection between the line of cutting 68 and the score line 24, that point being indicated at 98. A similar disposition occurs with respect to the flaps 8'8 and 85.

Accordingly, the resultant composite flaps 14-15 and 85-86 may now be folded about the score lines 24 and 22, respectively, as axes, and preferably in a direction to bring them against the side wall portions G and H, respectively, against which they are pressed by any suitable means to cause those portions of the adhesivebearing faces of the larger flap components 14 and 85 to effect a dependable securing of these composit flapsto and against the side wall portions G and H,.respectively; these relationships are shown in Figure 3. Of course, it will be un derstood that adhesive may be made effective, by suitable application, between the faces of the flap members 15 and 88 and the respective side wall portions G and H, as seen in Figure 2, if desired.

The sequence of folding operations performedwith respect to the parts E, B and F, shown in an uncompleted stage of folding in Figure 2, result in flaps 13 and 84 swinging downwardly about the fold lines 24 and 22, respectively, and in a folding or creasing along the fold lines H and 82, together with a drawing or swinging to the left, as viewed in Figure 2, of the large flaps 12 and 83.

When the relationship between'the end walls B and C 'is established, as by the above-mentioned block, side wall portions E and F, bearing adhesive as above described, are now swung completely inwardly about the score lines. 25-35 and 26-31, and hence against.- and over the side wallportions G and H, respectively, as well as the composite flaps 14. 15, 'and 85, 88, already folded against the latter, respectively, as above described, appropriate pressure being applied.

Thereby and as is better shown in Figure 3, side wall portion E is secured by the adhesive to the side wall portion G, the action of the adhesive, particularly under the above-mentioned pressure, causing the sidewall portion E closely to envelope the composite flap 14-15 between itself and the side wall portion G, atthe same time the side wall portion E, carrying the adhesive, becomes secured against the outer face, which need not be carrying adhesive, of the larger flap 14. Thus, the composite flap 14, 15 becomes dependably secured, to and interengaged as above described, flaps 13 and 84 swing downwardly about the score lines 24 and 22, respeca position in which they project downwardly below the plane of the bottom A. The folding that takes place at the score lines 24 and 1| (Figures 1 and 2) brings the adhesive-bearing faces of the two flaps 13 and 12 together and in a similar way the flaps 84 and 83 become laid against each other and secured together. There is thus formed, at one side of the bottom A, a downwardly projecting composite flap 13-12, and because of the preferred relatively large difference in areas of the two and the preferred relative shapes thereof, a relatively large adhesive-bearing area of .the face of flap 12 remains exposed or uncovered by the smaller flap 13. In a similar manner, a relatively large area of the adhesive-bearing face of the larger flap 83 re- 1 and preferred shaping of the parts causing the composite flap to cover substantially half of the under side of the bottom A. Suitable pressure is appliedto insure that the adhesive-bearing exposed face of the large flap 12 is dependably pressed against and secured to the under side of the bottom A.

In a.similar manner, score lines 4| and 22 (Figure 1) have become coincidental and the composite mm 84-83 is now swung inwardly and upwardly about the now coincidental score lines 22, 4| and, pressed against the under side of the.

bottom A, the proportioning of the parts again being preferably such that this composite flap covers substantially the remaining half of bottom A. These relationships better appear in Figure 3.

Thereby a strong, well reinforced and leakproof bottom structure is assured. At each corner will be seen to be several folds and several thicknesses of material, and where folded the folding will be seen to be in such a 'way that the adhesive dependably seals together adjacent folds or flaps. The point of intersection of the line of cutting 68 (Figure 1) with the bottom side edge or score line 24, that point marking the separation between the upwardly folded composite flap 14-15 (Figures 2' and 3) and the downwardly and inwardly folded composite flap as the smaller flap 13 and the bottom A to both of which the large flap 12 is dependably secured by adhesive.' A similar sealing occurs at the demarcation between composite flaps 85-86 and 83-84. v

tions J and K, by which the container closure is maintained and by which the container may be carried. For bringing about these actions, particularly where the container is employed for so-called carry-out or over-the-counter trade, as above-mentioned, the retailer or operative, after putting the contents in the container, by a simple operation forces the now juxtaposed triangular panels M and L (see Fig-'- ure 3 inwardly toward each other, causing them to fold about the score lines (it and 29, respectively. Thereby, folding takes place about the juxtaposed score lines 54 and 55 which are carried inwardly substantially into engagement with each other, the upper edges 46 and s becoming alined with each other, a similar alining of the upper edges of the quadrangular panels adjacent the triangular panel M taking place. By these operations the upper ends of the side walls iii-G and FH curve or fold inwardly to bring the upper edges or bounding lines 36-54 and 38-bit (Figure 1) together and substantially along a line, with the above-mentioned upper edges of the four-sided panels iolded against each other and against them and in between them. -At the same time handle portions J and K are brought into face to face contact, the loops thereof and the apertures in the loops substantially registering. The T-shaped tabs T and T of the handle portion J become juxtaposed to the T-shaped holes or apertures whereby the loops K 'and K are formed, whereupon these T-shaped pads are pushed through the respective apertures into the relationship shown in Figure 4, the narrow or neck portionsof the reshaped pads taking into the narrow bottom portions of the apertures forming the loops K and K and the broad portions of the tabs taking in back of the loops themselves. Thereby a strong and dependable retention of the parts in closed and carrying relationship is achieved.

By reason of the preferred arrangement of parts, as above described, the side walls E and F, principally through the large bottom flaps 12 and 83, respectively, transmit the load-carrying strains on the bottom directly to the registered handle portions J, K, and the contents, particularly liquids and wet goods, may be dependably carried with minimum, if any, risk of breakage or collapsing of the container, Furthermore, though the carrying strains are thus in a very direct way transmitted directly to the closure or handle portion great dependability of action and advantageous distribution of strains throughout the container are achieved. For example, the upwardly and downwardly folded composite flaps at two opposed side edges of the bottom A (see Figure 3) insure against buckling, bulging or I bowing, of the adjacent container portions,

particularly the side wall portions and the bottom portion adjacent thereto, while the flaps, particularly the large flaps l2 and 83, that extend crosswise of the bottom A, act as tension asoasee members and also in other ways to resist outward bowing or bulging of the end walls B and C particularly adjacent the bottom ends thereof. The sections are all, in the preferred form, related to the flaps which are extensions of the side walls E and F, and hence the reactions thereof are by the latter distributed throughout the container and to the closure or handle portions 3, Also, as in the preferred form, the angle ofbend that takes place along the fold lines 28 and 30 is such that the inwardly swung triangular panels L and M form with the upper ends of their respective end walls B and C composite compression members which dependably hold the opposed side walls E-G and F-i-i, particularly at the points where they begin to curve upwardly and inwardly, in proper'spaced relation and insure that the carrying strains and other strains distributed by these side walls do not effect a squashing or collapsing of the container in a direction from one side wall E or F to the other side wall F or E.

it will thus be seen that there has been pro-. vided in this invention a container construction and blank therefor and method of folding the blank in which the various objects heretofore noted together with many thoroughly practical advantages are successfully achieved.

As many possible embodiments may be made of the mechanical features of the above invention and as the art herein described might be varied in variousparts, all without departing from the scope of the invention, it is to be understood that all matter hereinabove set forth, or shown in the accompanying drawings is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:

l. A paper container body" made of a single sheet and comprising a four-sided bottom, two opposed sides of which are extended to form opposed end walls and said end walls each having lateral extensions respectively overlapped to form two opposed side walls, each of said four posite flaps, the two flaps of each of said four composite flaps being of different areas so that one of them has a portion extended beyond the other, two of said composite flaps, one at each of said remaining two sides of said bottom, being folded upwardly into the respective planes of said side walls and adhesively secured thereto, and the remaining, two of said composite flaps being folded downwardly and into the plane of said bottom and adhesively secured thereto.

2. A container body as claimed in claim 1 in which said first-mentioned two composite flaps including the extended portion of the flap that is of greater area are respectively folded in between thea overlapped lateral extensions that form said opposed side walls, said extended portion being adhesively secured in position.

3. A paper container body made of a single sheet and comprising a four-sided bottom, two

opposed sides of which are extended to form opposed end walls and said end walls each having lateral. extensions respectively overlapped to form two opposed side wals, each of said two remaining sides of said bottom having a flap extension dlvided into two flaps, each beingconnected to a downward flap extension of the adjacent lateral extension, thereby to form four pairs of composite flaps each comprising a flap and a flap extension, certain of said composite flaps being folded in one direction about the adjacent side of the bottom and secured in position maining sides of said bottom having a flap exto said side walls.

.form two opposed side walls, each of said two retension divided into two flaps, each being connected to a downward flap extension of the adja-, cent lateral extension, thereby to form four pairs of composite flaps each comprising a flap'and a flap extension, two opposed composite flaps being folded in a direction upwardly about the respectively adjacent sides of said bottom and the remaining two opposed composite flaps being folded downwardly about said sides of said bottom and against the under face of the latter and adhesively secured thereto.

5. A paper'container body made of a single sheet and comprising a four-sided bottom, two opposed sides of which are extended to form opposed end walls and said end walls each having lateral extensions respectively overlapped to form two opposed side walls, each of said four lateral extensions having downwardly extended flaps of which the flaps of one lateral extension of each of said two side walls are of greater extent along the side of said bottom than the flaps of the remaining two lateral extensions, said four flaps being integral with said bottom and of which two are along each of said remaining opposed sides of said bottom, thereby to form four composite flaps each comprising a bottom flap overlapped by its adjacent connected lateral extension flap, said composite flapsbeing interfolded with the container and secured thereto with said two flaps of greater extent along said sides of said bottom overlapping the place of separation or demarcation between the flaps of said sides of the bottom. 6. A container body asclaimed in claim 5 in which the two composite flaps that include said two flaps of greater extent are folded downwardly against and-adhesively secured to the bottom.

'7. A paper container body made of a single l sheet and comprising a four-sided bottom, two opposed sides of which are extended to form two opposed end walls and said end walls each having two lateral extensions, thereby providing four lateral extensions of which the two of one end wall respectively overlap the two lateral extensions of the other end wall to form two opposed side walls, each of said four lateral extensions having a downwardly extended flap thereby providing four flaps, there being four flaps integral with the bottom with two at each of the remaining opposed sides of the bottom, respectively connected at the corners of said bottom to said firstmentioned four flaps, thereby to form four composite flaps each comprising a bottom flap and an overlapped lateral extension flap, two of said composite flaps at opposed sides of saidbottom being folded and adhesively secured respectively 8. A paper container body made of a single sheet and comprising a four-sided bottom, two opposed sides of which are extended to form two opposed end walls and said end walls each having two lateral extensions, thereby providing four lateral extensions of which the two of one end wall respectively overlap the two lateral extensions of the other end wall to form two opposed side walls, each of said four lateral extensions having a downwardly extended flap thereby providing four-flaps, there being four flaps integral with the bottom with two at each of the remain ing opposed sides of the bottom, respectively connected at the corners of said bottom to said firstmentioned four flaps, thereby to form four composite flaps each comprising a, bottom flap and an overlapped'lateral extension flap, two of said composite flaps at opposedsides of said bottom being folded and adhesively secured to said bottom.

9. A paper container body made of a single sheet and comprising a four-sided bottom, two

, sions.

opposed sides of which are extended to form two.

opposed end walls and said end walls each having two lateral extensions, thereby providing four lateral extensions of which "the two of one end wall respectively overlap the two lateral extensions of the other end wall to form two opposed side walls, each of said four lateral extensions having a downwardly extended flap thereby providing four flaps, there being four flaps integral with the bottom with two at each of the remaining opposed sides of the'bottom respectively connected at the corners of said bottom to said firstmentioned four flaps, thereby to form four composite flaps each comprising a bottom flap and an overlapped lateral extension flap, two of said composite flaps at opposed-sides of said bottom being folded and adhesively secured respectively to said side walls, and the remaining two of said composite flaps being folded and adhesively secured to said bottom.

10. A container blank comprising a sheet or flaps respectively connected adjacent the corners of said bottom to the flaps of said lateral exten- OSCAR w. 

